Method of electric welding and annealing



Oct. 22, 1935. c, 1.. PFEIFFER METHOD OF ELECTRIC WELDING AND ANNEALING Original Filed March 16, 1928 86 82 :awmh

l &

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF ELECTRIC WELDING AND ANNEALING Continuation of application Serial No. 262,228,

March 16, 1928.

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of electric welding and annealing, and more particularly to a method of butt welding wire or rod material, and this application is a continuation of my copending application, Serial No. 262,228, filed March 16, 1928.

Heretofore in the art of electric butt welding many unsuccessful attempts have been made to weld non-ferrous materials, such as aluminum especially is this true in the wire drawing art where the weld must have sufficient strength to withstand severe reductions.

In accordance with the fundamental principles underlying this invention, success has replaced failure due to the proper coordination of time, working pressure and high current densities heretofore unknown to those engaged in the art of electric welding.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a welding method whereby a strong, ductile, homogeneous and autogenous weld between metallic bodies can'be obtained.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, one embodiment thereof by which the method may be practiced comprises a stationary clamp and a movable clamp for holding the material to be welded in abutting relation, the movable clamp being impelled along a guideway toward the stationary clamp through the action of helical springs compressed by a cam lever which also operates electrical contacts in the welding circuit to prevent premature closure thereof. A switch mechanism is also adapted for opening the welding circuit upon the movement of the clamp a-predetermined distance after the weld has been completed and an auxiliary circuit is provided for subsequently annealing the welded portion.

The features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from'the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of a welding and annealing apparatus disclosing a representative embodiment of the invention;

This application April 13, 1934, Serial No. 720,473

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the work in position before the welding operation commences and giving a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections, and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing in detail in which like reference numerals designate similar parts, a horizontal bed plate I is provided with a T-shaped guideway II and an elevated portion 12. Secured rigidly to the top of this elevated portion is the annealing apparatus including a bifurcated holder l5 having a circular opening IS in which a vise I1 is rotatably supported. The vise'consists of a pair of semi-circular members I8-I8 having complemental V-notches l9-|9 centrally located and extending longitudinally thereof for holding the welded material; a threaded bolt protruding through apertures. in the members l8 engages a nut 2| and has a head 22 in which a clamping handle 23 is slidgo ably mounted. Sufficient clearance is provided between members l8l8 and the holder l5 to permit the members l8-l8 to be manually rotated, and also to permit them to be separated from each other by rotation of the handle 23 to 25 insert and remove the wire or rod, but an electrical connection between members I8l8 and the holder I5 is maintained by reason of the tendency of the outer end of the vise to fall due to gravity, which tendency is resisted by the holder l5 contacting with the vise at its outer and inner edges. This vise is usedin the annealing and filing operations which will be readily understood from the description as it progresses. Positioned directly in front of the vise I1 is a filing block 28 which is fastened to the elevated portion I! of the bed plate Ill. The top surface of the filing block is provided with two flat portions, one higher than the other, to form a wire supporting ledge 29 which is so positioned as to be in direct alignment with the V-notches IS in the longitudinal faces of the semi-circular clamping members IS.

The stationary part of the welding device includes a plate 34 attached to the elevated portion l2 by screws 35-35 and insulated therefrom by an insulating strip 36. The plate 34 in turn supports a wire or rod clamping device 31 which comprises a fixed copper jaw 38 secured to the plate 34 by a screw 39 and a movable jaw 42 pivoted at 43 to a lug 44 integral with the plate 34, the movable jaw having a slotted lever arm with a handle 45 pivoted within the slot by means of a pin 46. The handle has a cam surface 41 which engages the top of an adjustable stud 48 56 threaded into the forward end of the plate 34 whereby on raising the handle 45 a clamping action may be exerted between the jaws 38 and 42. In order to adjust theclamping action to suit various wire diameters the stud 48 is retated to a lower or higher elevation and locked in position by a nut 5!, thereby regulating the clamping movement of the movable jaw by controlling the degree of engagement of the cam surface 47 of the handle with the top of the stud 48.

The T-shaped guideway ll of the bed plate I!) has fitted to it a slide 52, the side edges of which consists of flanges l4 slidably embracing the guideway, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow the slide to have a reciprocating movement in a rectilinear path. A clamping device 53, the counterpart of the clamping device 37, is rigidly mounted on the slide 52. Rods 54 are threaded into the plate 34 supporting the stationary clamping device 31 and pass through and extend beyond apertures 55 in an upper projection of the slide 52 supporting the clamp 53. The rods are insulated from the slide 52 by insulating tubes 56 and the object of the rods is to provide means for impelling the movable clamping device 53 toward the stationary clamping device 31. This action .is accomplished through compression springs 58 interposed between the side of the upper projection of the slide 52 and flanged nuts 59 threaded on the end of the rods 54. The compression springs are designed to impart a pressure varying from zero to two hundred (200) pounds in welding copper wire from the smallest size up to A" in diameter. The movable clamp 53 is retracted and the springs compressed through the action of a cam 60 engaging the edge 6I' of a'square opening 62 in the slide 52. The cam in turn is actuated by means of a shaft 63 rotatably supported in the guideway II and fastened to a lever 64 which carries a knife switch 65. An insulator block 69 carrying two independent contacts 10-H is fastened to the underside of the bed plate ID in such a position that when the hand lever 64 is rotated clockwise through 90 (Fig. 1) to release the slide 52 the knife switch 65 will electrically interconnect the contacts 70 and H to partially complete the welding circuit which will be described.

The electrical connections for supplying current to the welding and annealing apparatus are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2, wherein the electrical supply mains 1213 are connected to a source of alternating current (not shown). A welding transformer 15 having an adjustable primary is so designed that the secondary 94 thereof will deliver a high amperage of the desired amount; for instance, in the welding of copper wire from No. 24 (B and S) gauge to N0. 2 gauge the secondary of the transformer must be capable of delivering a current of from 200 to 20,000 amperes. The control circuit of the welding transformer 15 includes an electro-magnetically operated switch 16, a push button switch 80, the knife switch 65 and an automatic interrupter 83. The interrupter 83 includes a lever 85 pivoted by means of a bolt 86 to the guideway II and normally held in retracted position by a tension spr ng 81. The upper part of the lever 85 carries an adjustable threaded bolt 88 adapted to be engaged and rotated by a trip block 89 fastened to the underside of the slide 52. A contact pin 9|, which is securely fastened to the lower part .of the lever 85 and insulated therefrom by insulator 92 is adapted to make an electrical connection with an adjustable screw 93 threaded into an angular steel member 96 which is securely fastened to the underside of the bed In and insulated therefrom 5 by an insulating strip 91. The secondary 94 of the welding transformer 15 is connected to the copper jaws of the clamping devices 31 and 53 which serve as electrodes for conducting electric current to wires 98-99 to be welded. A trans- 10 former I00 is provided for supplying current at the desired voltage for annealing the wire after it is welded. The primary of this annealing transformer is connected through push button switch I04 to the feed mains '!2-'l3; the ter- 15 minals of the secondary are connected to the vise holder I 5 and the stationary clamping device 31, respectively.

In practicing the method with the apparatus disclosed, the lever 64 is rotated counterclock- 20 wise through to the position shown in Fig. 1

of the drawing whereby the cam 60 engaging the edge of the opening 62 in slide 52 forces the latter away from the stationary clamping device 31 and compresses the springs 58. The wires 25 or rods 98 and 99 to be welded are placed in the clamping devices in abutting relationship so as to give equal projections to each wire between the clamps and the clamp handles 45 are pushed upwardly to effect the clamping action and hold 30 the wires in proper position. The compression of the springs 58 has been previously adjusted by turning the nuts 59 on the rods 54 until the desired pressure was obtained between the wires 98 and 99. Also, the number of eifective'turns of the primary 14 of the welding transformer has been adjusted until the induced current of the secondary 94 thereof has reached a predetermined density. The pressure and current density need only be adjusted once in welding 40 a particular size and kind of wire. In order to obtain the proper timing, that is, the time during which electric current will flow through the Wires being welded, the threaded bolt 88 of the circuit breaker or interrupter 83 is adjusted to engage the trip block 89 upon the movement of the slide 52 through a predetermined distance.

With the foregoing adjustments duly made, the lever 64 is thrown 90 clockwise releasing the slide 52 and causing the knife blade 65 to connect 50 the terminals 19 and "H previously described. The operator then operates the push button 80 which causes the electro-magnetic switch 16 to actuate and close the circuit to the primary of the transformer. This connection of the primary 55 with the alternating current supply mains 'I213 results in a flow of electric current in the secondary of the transformer and thence through the wires 98-99. The heavy copper conductors from the secondary of the transformer are of 60 sufficient cross-sectional area that very little resistance is encountered by the electric current in passingto the wires to be welded. However, upon the current reaching the wires between the clamping electrodes the reduction in cross-sectional area greatly increases the current density. thereby increasing the heat per unit of volume. As the heat of the metal increases the resistance also increases, and the welding is accelerated. When the ends of the wires become plastic they 70 are pressed into each other under the impelling force of the compression springs 5858 and are fused together; the metal then spreads, extruding the surfaces into an annular ridge or tough fin at the junction point. The resistance and 75 "joint is supported on the filing block 28.

resulting heat are comparatively great due to the high current density and the weld is accomplished in a short interval of time. By the term a short interval of time" as used herein is meant a period of .02 to 1 second.

.Upon the movement of the clamping electrode 53 a. predetermined distance the trip 89 engages the lever 85 and breaks the control circuit which de-energizes the electro-magnetic switch to open the primary 14 of the welding transformer 15, thereby discontinuing the welding current.

The welded wires are removed from the clamping devices 31-53 and the wires reclamped in the clamp 31 and the vise ll so that the welded The operator then grasps the vise II in his left hand and rotates it, meanwhile removing the annular ridge'from the weld by means of a file in his right hand. The twisting in the filing is taken up by the wire a distance of about A" on each side of the welded joint and serves to harden that portion of the wire. After the filing, a length of about three inches with the weld at the center is annealed at a dull red heat by compressing the push button I 04 to close the annealing circuit and transmit an annealing current through the secondary winding of the annealing transformer I00, holder I5, vise H, the welded portion of the united wires 9899, and clamp 31.

In the welding of copper wire or rod a current density of .3 to 1 ampere per circular mil is used along with a compression of substantially 4200 pounds per square inch of cross-sectional area of the wires being welded.

The welding of aluminum is much more difficult and heretofore has not been successfully attained in butt welding. The method along with the apparatus disclosed herein produces a tough aluminum weld of sufficient strength to withstand a plurality of severe reductions in successive wire drawing operations. In the welding of aluminum, a spring 32 is interposed in any suitable manner between the clamping devices such as insulating it from and fastening it to the stationary jaw 38 of the fixed clamping device 31. This spring is adjusted so that when the welding circuit is opened by the trip 89 the compressing force between the clamping devices will have been gradually reduced to zero from the time that the fused aluminum starts to harden.

Hence,- a full amount of pressure is not exertedinitial pressure of approximately 600 pounds per square inch of the cross-sectional area of the aluminum to be welded produces a tough weld in an interval of time from .02 to 1 second depending on the size of the aluminum stock. It has been found that a better weld can be obtained by abutting the ends of the material to be welded so that they are in contact with each other at all points with no air space therebe tween. Fused aluminum combines very readily with oxygen and has little strength in the plastic state so that the novel use of high current density and a pressure that tapers off to zero permits of a weld being made in a very short period of time reducing the opportunities of oxidation, and prevents pressure being applied while the metal is hardening, which application of pressure at the wrong moment disrupts the sensitive crystalline structure and may result in a brittle weld.

It will thus be apparent that this invention discloses a material advancement in the art of butt welding and while the invention is described and illustrated by a specific embodiment, it will be understood that this is merely a convenient and useful form of the invention which is capable of many other modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed and as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of electric welding non-ferrous materials, which consists of abutting the nonferrous materials, applying a current density of 0.1 to l ampere per circular mil to said materials,

simultaneously exerting a pressure therebetween of time, and gradually decreasing the pressure to zero while the materials are being fused together.

2. A method of electric welding non-ferrous materials, which comprises abutting the ends of the materials to be welded, exerting a pressure therebetween, applying a welding current 0.1 to l ampere per circular mil to effect a weld in a short period of time, and decreasing the pressure as the materials are fused together.

3. A method of electric welding non-ferrous materials, which comprises exerting a pressure between the materials to be welded, applying a welding current to the materials, and decreasing the pressure by applying an opposing force thereto while the materials are being fused together.

4. A method of electric welding aluminum materials, which consists of exerting a pressure between the materials to be welded of substantially 600 pounds per square inch of cross-sectional area, applying a current density of 0.1 to 0.6 ampere per circular mil to the aluminum materials, and gradually decreasing the pressure to zero while the materials are being fused to gether.

5. A method of electric welding aluminum materials, which consists of exerting a pressure between the materials to be welded, applying a welding current to the aluminum materials, and 45 .materials, which consists of abutting the ends of the materials to be welded so that they are 0 in contact with each other at all points, exerting a pressure therebetween, applying a welding current to effect a weld in a short interval of time, and decreasing the pressure as the materials are fused together.

7. A method of electric welding aluminum materials, which consists of abutting the ends of the materials to be welded so that they are in contact with each other at all points, exerting a pressure between the materials to be welded 60 of substantially 600 pounds per square inch of cross-sectional area, applying a current density of 0.1 to 0.6 ampere per circular mil to the aluminum materials, and, gradually decreasing the pressure to zero while the materials are be- 05 ing fused together.

8. A method of electric welding aluminum materials, which comprises abutting the ends of the materials to be welded, exerting a pressure therebetween, applying a welding current to the 70 materials, and decreasing the pressure as the materials are fused together.

9. A method of producing between rods of non-ferrous metal of high thermal and electrical conductivity a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods of the order of 600 to 4200 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods having a density of more than 0.1 ampere per circular mil and decreasing the pressure during the relative movement of the rods when the heated metal yields.

10. A method of producing between copper rods a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods less than 5000 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods having a density of more than 0.1 ampere per circular mil and decreasing the pressure during the relative movement of the rods when the heated. metal yields.

11. A method of producing between copper rods a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in crosssectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods not substantially greater than 4200 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods having a density of the order of 0.3 ampere per circular mil and decreasing the pressure during the relative movement of the rods as they are fused together.

12. A method of producing between copper rods a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods not greater than 5000 pounds per square inch cross-sectional'area, simultaneously passing a current through. the rods, the density of said current being an inverse function of the cross-section of the rods and over 0.1 ampere per circular mil and decreasing the pressure during the relative movement of the rods as they are fused together.

13. A method of producing between copper rods a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods less than 5000 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods having a density of more than 0.1 ampere per circular mil, de- 5 creasing the pressure during the relative movement of the rods when the heated metal yields and controlling the period of application of the current by said movement.

14. A method of producing between copper rods .a. weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods not substantially greater than 4200 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods having a density of the order of 0.3 ampere per circular mil, decreasing the pressure during the movement of one rod toward the other and controlling the period of application of the current by said movement.

15. A method of producing between copper rods a weld capable of withstanding substantial reduction in cross-sectional area by repeated drawing operations, comprising abutting the rods in end to end relationship, applying a pressure to the rods not greater than 5000 pounds per square inch cross-sectional area, simultaneously passing a current through the rods, the density of said current being an inverse function of the cross-section of the rods and over 0.1 ampere per circular mil, decreasing the pressure during the movement of one rod toward the other and controlling the period of applica- 5 tion of the current by said movement.

16. A method of electric welding non-ferrous materials, which comprises exerting a pressure between the materials to be welded, simultaneously applying a welding current to the materials, and decreasing. the pressure as the materials are fused together.

1'7. A method of welding copper rods, which comprises abutting the rods in end to end relationship, exerting a pressure therebetween, si- 5 multaneously applying a current-to the rods to effect a weld therebetween in a short interval of time, and decreasing the pressure as the rods are fused together.

CONRAD L. PFEIFFER. 

